As birders, we love to spend time with birds in their habitat, sharing their space. But regardless of our motivation for going out and finding birds, we always have the potential to cause disturbance and harm to the animals we are observing. It is important for us to consider our impacts to wildlife, other birders, and non-birders we may interact with while out in the field.  Ideally, we can all be observers, not influencers, of wildlife behavior.

The ABA Code of Birding Ethics is a widely admired set of easily understood guidelines encourages all birders to practice and promote respectful, enjoyable, and thoughtful birding.

When photographing birds, please follow the guidance of Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography.